| Northeast-Midwest Institute Weekly Update |
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Northeast-Midwest Institute Leads Webinar for Mayor's Automotive Coalition
| On Monday, March 14, Senior Policy Analysts Chris Forinash and Colleen Cain led a webinar for members of the Mayor's Automotive Coalition (MAC), including mayors, city managers, and other urban redevelopment stakeholders. Mayors of communities hurt by the automotive industry downturn--most of which are located in the Northeast-Midwest region--founded the Coalition in 2008. MAC has partnered with NEMWI to work closely with dozens of these localities to craft strategies for revitalization. Topics of the webinar included: the Institute's current initiatives, especially its Revitalizing Older Cities work; the Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities; the basics and benefits of smart growth; and federal transportation policy opportunities that can help MAC communities.
For more information, contact Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
NEMWI Co-Hosts "The Next Farm Bill, New Opportunities for Environmental and Agricultural Sustainability"
| The Northeast-Midwest Institute co-hosted, in partnership with The Horinko Group (THG), the first session of the THG's 2011 Sustainability Salon Series on March 15. The workshop, entitled Entitled, "The Next Farm Bill, New Opportunities for Environmental and Agricultural Sustainability," featured keynote speaker Ann Mills, USDA's Deputy Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment. Two realities around agricultural sustainability motivated the Salon: a shrinking Federal budget, and a crucial need for cross-sector cooperation to achieve sustainability goals. The meeting focused on specific prospects of advancing sustainability in the 2012 Farm Bill -- a measure of great importance to the Upper Mississippi River (UMR) region and NEMW region generally. The meeting output will be a white paper on realities and next steps for bringing agricultural, environmental, and other relevant interest groups into a collaborative force around common interests and goals for the 2012 Farm Bill. NEMWI is seeking funding to support a NEMWI-led effort to puruse the collaboration in time to maximize benefit to the UMR and NEMW region from 2012 Farm Bill outcomes.
For more information, contact Mark Gorman , Senior Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute. |
Northeast Corridor Designated High-Speed Rail Corridor
| Last week, the Department of Transportation designated the Northeast Corridor an official "high-speed rail corridor". The designation by DOT now allows states, groups of states, and interstate compacts along the Northeast Corridor to apply for funds appropriated under Sec. 501. DOT Secretary LaHood's letter to Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) announcing the designation can be read here. The Northeast Corridor is America's busiest, running from Washington, DC to Boston, MA. The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act has two categories for rail funding: Sec. 301 for Intercity Passenger Rail Service Corridor Capital Assistance, and Sec. 501 for High-Speed Rail Corridor Development. In December of 2009, the Northeast-Midwest Institute released a report on funding challenges for the Northeast Corridor, and urged "high speed rail corridor" designation as an important step forward.
Fore more information contact Fritz Ohrenschall at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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President Signs Three Week Budget Extension
| On Friday, March 18, President Obama signed a three week extension funding the federal government until April 8, 2011 and giving Congress time to negotiate the rest of fiscal year 2011's budget. The measure passed the House on March 1 (rc, 271-158) and the Senate on March 2 (rc, 87-13). The continuing resolution cuts $6 billion over its three weeks.
Fore more information contact Fritz Ohrenschall at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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